Malo lactic from fresh grapes

[MCARCIERO]

The wine has reached .994 and I transferred the wine to the cold room to clear. Its been there for about 3 weeks.'

I have just decided that i would like to start the malo lactic fermenation.

Is it safe to transfer the wine back to the warm room for MLF now?

FYI: sulfites have been added already

 

[MCARCIERO]

bump bump bump

 

[roadpupp]

How many PPM SO2 do you have? Too much will inhibit MLF

 

[MCARCIERO]

How many PPM SO2 do you have? Too much will inhibit MLF

I have no idea. Guess I will have to purchase the kit and provide an update.

Thanx

 

[joea132]

How much K Meta did you add to how much wine? You can give us an idea that would help us help you. Your wine may have already spontaneously gone through MLF too as an FYI. So you have any "green apple" taste?

 

[MCARCIERO]

How much K Meta did you add to how much wine? You can give us an idea that would help us help you. Your wine may have already spontaneously gone through MLF too as an FYI. So you have any "green apple" taste?

I added 2 teaspoons in a 15 gallon demi john.

Green apple taste? Im not sure

cellar temperature has been between 15-18 degrees celcius for the last 3 weeks

 

[joea132]

I suggest picking up a SO2 resistant strain of malolactic culture, maybe a VP-41. But you should know that your wine may have already undergone MLF. MLF takes malic acid, which has a green apple taste, and converts it to a softer lactic acid. This raises the pH and decreases TA. Without testing by chromatography, you can't conclusively tell if your wine has gone through or not. Another point to consider is that SO2 wears off over time. Even if your levels are too high, over time they will diminish and you can find your wine spontaneously mlfing. I had a batch that I sulfited too early and I let it sit for the winter. When it warmed up in the spring it started mlfing. You are right about the temperature too, it should be higher.

 

[JohnT]

One other piece of advice (if you have not already thought along these lines). I would plan on filter/racking the wine in the process of moving it into the "warm room". Why let all that cold stabilization go to waste?